1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a loading apparatus for a recording medium and a control method for the loading apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a loading apparatus for a recording medium having a delivery member on which the recording medium is loaded and a control method for the loading apparatus.
2. Background of the Invention
In general, a disc playback player using a disc-like recording medium (which will be simply referred to as a disc) such as an optical disc is provided with a loading apparatus for loading or unloading the disc relative to the player body. As in a so-called compact disc player, the loading apparatus is provided with a disc tray which is moved among a position where the tray is projected from an opening of the player body, a disc exchanging position, a position where the tray is retracted into the player body through the opening, and a playback or reproduction position. In the case where a disc within the player is to be replaced by another outside the player and a disc is to be loaded into the player, the user of the disc player operates switches provided on the player body for operating the movement of the disc tray to extract the disc tray through the opening of the player body. The disc is loaded on a disc loading recess of the disc tray that is extracted to the outside of the player body. Thereafter, the operating switches are operated to retract the disc tray into the player body. The movement of the disc tray is stopped when it reaches the playback position within the player body. Thereafter, the disc playback portion and the disc tray are moved relative to each Other and the disc on the disc tray is laid on a disc table which constitutes the disc playback portion together with an optical pickup. Under this condition, the disc is clamped by a chucking member and the disc table. When a playback command is inputted, the disc table is rotationally driven to thereby rotate the disc. After the disc has been rotated at a predetermined speed, a light beam is projected from the optical pickup to thereby read an information signal recorded on the disc. When the disc tray is unloaded, the disc playback portion and the disc tray are again moved relative to each other, the clamping of the disc between the disc table and the chucking member is released. Thereafter, as mentioned above, the disc tray is extracted through the opening of the player body.
However, in the disc player having such a disc tray, it is necessary to stop the disc tray at desired positions such as the disc exchanging position and the disc playback position as accurately as possible. In particular, it is desired that at the time when the disc tray has reached the playback position, the positions of the disc tray and the disc playback portion are precise as much as possible since these two components are moved relative to each other. For this reason, in the above-described disc player, there are provided detector switches for detecting the position of the disc tray. The detector switches are operated by the disc tray per se or a member that moves together with the disc tray. The detector switches are provided at the disc exchanging position of the disc tray and the playback position thereof, respectively. These switches are operated to be turned on or off when the disc tray reaches the exchanging position and the playback position. The output signals are fed to a controller which in turn causes a motor, that is a drive source for a moving mechanism for moving the disc tray, to stop on the basis of the output signals corresponding to the switching operation of turn-on and turn-off.
Accordingly, since the motor is rotated at a constant speed during a period before the detector switches are operated, when the detector switches are operated by the disc tray or the like, the motor will abruptly stop. The reason for this is that, although it is possible to detect the fact that the disc table reaches the exchanging position and the playback position, in the meantime, it is impossible to detect whether or not the disc tray is positioned in place. Accordingly, it is impossible to smoothly or gently stop the disc tray at the exchanging position or the playback position by controlling the moving speed of the disc tray before the disc tray has reached the exchanging position or the playback position.
In order to solve the problem, it is possible to provide a plurality of detector switches on a moving locus of the disc tray. In this case, however, not only would a cost therefor be increased, but also there would be a fear that a fabrication work efficiency would be degraded due to the necessity that operation timing of each detector switch be adjusted.